Circuit-breaker.



No. 675,049. Patenfd may 2a, |901.-

s. STEWART, 1n. CIRCUIT BBEAKER.

l (Appumion med-.rm 21, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Shets-Sheei l.

Witnesses Inventor l i SamuKeI Btevjart @W g' I by v f Atty.

YH: www: mess co.. wncxraLlTHo., w'AsnlnGwN. n. c.

No. 675,049. Patnted May 28, 190|. S. B. STEWART, 1B. Y cmculT BnEAKEYn.

(Applicxtign filed Jin. 21, 1901.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheats-Sheet 2. 1

f Y v fa e i m l 22 M' I Witnesses. f l 'inventori fg/y@ 4M/Q samuel Btewarmn UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. STEWART, JR., OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

CIRCUIT-BREAKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 675,049, dated May 28, 1901.

Application ined January 21,1901. serrano. 43,982. (no modem T all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, SAMUEL B. STEWART, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circuit-Breakers, (Case No. 1,60S,) of which the following is a specitication. V

This invention relates to circuit-breakers, io and is particularly designed for use on trolley-cars or in supply-stations to eiect an au,- tomatic rupture of the circuit on predetermined overloads or a manual opening of the circuit when necessary. A

The object of the invention is to providea device of this character which will occupy a minimum space, with the operating parts housed under cover and all live parts inclosed to prevent accidents by contact to passengers or employees and which will positively and eiiectively open circuits carrying heavy currents.

The invention involves'varions details of construction, the novelty of. which will be hereinafter more fullyv described in the speciiication and deinitelyindicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings,which illustrate the invention, Figure l is a face View, with the cover removed, of a circuit-breaker embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional View on a median plane. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing the tripping-action, and Fig. 4 is a diagram of the circuit and tripping devices. 35 Iprovide the circuit-breaker with main and shunt contacts, as usual in the construction of circuit-breakers handling large currents of considerablepotential. These contacts are indicated at 1 and 2, each forming a bridgepiece adapted when closed to' cross-connect two fixed terminals to which the circuit leads. In circuit with the main contacts controlled by the bridging contact 1 is a series coil 3, the connections between the contact-post 4 and the coil being completed by a brass or copper casting of suitable cu rrent-carrying capacity. The operative parts are mounted in a castiron casing provided with a cover, as indicated in Fig. 2, and are supported on an insulating reproof wall of slate or similar material, as indicated at 5 in Fig. 2. The heads of the bolts and screws are buried in order to prevent flashing across live parts of the apparatus to the casing and to prevent leakage from the condensation of moisture or dirt. The bridging contact 1 may be formed of a. bundle of copper or phosphor-bronze laminze, (indicated in Fig. 1,),as usual in the construction of this class'of apparatus. The main and shunt contacts are carried by supports linked 6o together by a stud 6 and set at an angle to one another, and preferably a right angle, so

as to bring the apparatus Within a small compass. One of the elements, shown in the drawings as that supporting the shunt-oontact 2, is pivoted on a xed stud 7, supported by a bolt passing through the slate wall 5, and

is controlled by a helical spring S, fixed at one end to a stationary lug 9 and at the other end tothe lever carrying the shunt-contact. 7o The link 10 connects the stud 9 with the free end ofthe support for the maincontact 1. The system thus described forms a parallel-motion arrangement by which a lateral movement of y the stud 6 opens or closes both contacts, the 75 positioning of which is such that, as usual, the main contact opens first. The circuit is closed by an operating-handle 1l, insulated upon the operative parts of the circ uit-breaker and its casing, the lever being pivoted on a 8o fixed stud 12 and extending at its free end into the path of the stud 6, this end being shod at the point of engagement Witha steel shoe 2S, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. With the parts as thus described a movement y of the handle to the left shifts the stud 6 to the right, thereby setting both contacts in closed relation to the circuit and cramping them in position, and the parts are held locked in this position by a pivoted latch 13, having 9o a beveled nose cooperating with a corresponding beveled shoulder on the support for the main contact at 14. This latch is ynormally pressed upwardly by aspring 15 and when the circuit is closed drops behind the tapering shoulder at the point 14. It isl locked in this position by a pivoted dog or tripping device mounted to turn on the stud 12 and pressed forward by a spring 16. rIhe action will be clear from an examination of Fig. 3, roo where 17 represents the tripping device and 1S the shoulder which locks the latch 13, and

thereby holds the circuit closed. This tripping device is provided with a spur or projection 19, which lies in the path of a pin 20, secured to a projection of the operating-lever. It lies also in the path of au extension of an armature 21, which cooperates with the automatic tripping-coil 3. It will thus be seen that, assuming the circuit-breaker to be set in the position shown in Fig. 1, on a predetermined overload governed by the adjustment of a spring 22 the armature 21 is drawn up,

thus depressing the spur 19 and knocking the tripping device to the left in a slot formed in the latch 13. The spring 8 then rapidly opens the circuit, the latch 13 being forced out against the light tension of its spring 15 by the ltapering Wall at 14. On the other hand, if it be desired to open the circuit by the operating-lever the handle 1l is thrown to thel right, bringing the pin 20 against the spur 19, and thus opening the circuit. In resetting the circuit the handle l1 is thrown to the left, bringing the free end of the lever against the stud 6 and forcing the contacts against the vtension of spring 8 into their closed positions,

on attaining which the beveled Wall at 14 clears the end of the latch 13, permitting the latter to be forced to its seat, after which the spring-pressed tripping-dog drops behind the latch and locks it in that position. Coperating with the shunt-contacts is' a closed chute having Walls of ber or similar insulating should be placed in series with the shuntcontacts. A metal plate may be secured overl the parts, as indicated at 25 in Fig. 2, to which one end of the supporting-studs may be secured, and a cover 26 may be bolted over the top, so as to completely inclose the parts, being secured by bolts entering the Walls of the casing, as indicated in Fig. 1. The framework maybe formed of cast-iron, so that the plates of cast iron 25 25a may form polepieces for establishing the magnetic field in the chute 27.

l What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, s-

1. A circuit-breaker comprising movable main and shunt contacts pivoted together at an angle, an operating-lever for bringing them into engagement with corresponding fixedl contacts, a spring-actuated latch for locking them in engagement, and a tripping device for the latch adapted to be set and released by opposite handle movements.

2. A circuit-breaker comprising movable main and shunt contacts pivoted together, a

spring controlling them giving a normal bias 'toward an open position, an operating-lever, a spring-actuated latch for locking them in closed relation to corresponding fixed contacts, and a tripping device for the latch, adapted to be set and released by opposit movements of the handle. A

3. A circuit-breaker comprising `movable main and shunt contacts pivoted together at an angle, a fixed stud on which one of them is pivoted, a supporting-link connected to the other, an operating-lever for shifting the conltacts into closed relation to corresponding x'ed contacts, a latch forlocking them when closed, and a tripping device operated by the lever for releasing and setting the latch.

4. A circuit-breaker, comprising movable main and shunt contacts pivoted together at a right angle, a fixed stud on which the shuntcontact is pivoted, a spring controlling the same, a magnetic blow-out and coperating chute extending outwardly from the shuntcontact, and an operating-lever for opening and closing the circuit.

5. A circuit-breaker comprising movable main and shunt contacts pivoted together at' right angles, a connecting-link 10 for effecting parallel motion, a spring giving the coutactsla normal bias toward an open position,

an operating-handle disconnected from thek movable system but adapted to engage the same and close the contacts, a latch 13 to lock them set,and a detent controlled by the handle for locking or releasing the latch.

6. A circuit-breakerl comprising Xed and movable contacts, a handle for closing the contacts, a'latch engaging a sloping Wall for holding the contacts set, a detent for locking the latch, and means for releasing the detent to permit the circuit to open.

7. A circuitrbreaker comprising movable main and shunt contacts pivoted together at an angle, an operating-handle disconnected from the movable system but adapted to close the contacts, a spring giving a normal bias toward an opening movement, a latch engag ing a beveled Wall for holding them in closed position, and a detent pivoted on the same stud as the operating-handle and controlled thereby to lock or release the latch.

S. A circuit-breaker comprising movable main and shunt contacts, a handle disconnected therefrom but adapted to set them closed, a spring giving them a normal opening bias, a pivoted detent for locking them closed,

IOO

IIO

means for releasing the detent, and a releasu ing-lug secured to the detent adapted to be tripped by the handle or the armature of an overload-magnet.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 18th day of January, 1901.

SAMUEL B. STEWART, JR.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, 

